Automatic stopping and starting device for gasoline engines



March 4, 1930. K. A. GRAVES ET AL 1,749,668

AUTOMATIC STOPPING AND STARTING DEVICE FOR GASOLINE ENGINES Filed June5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l lllllllillllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL In van f rGraves. 7?. G Graves H Juneau March 4, 1.930. K. A. GRAVES ET AL1,749,668

AUTOMATIC STOPPING AND STARTING DEVICE FOR GASOLINE ENGINES Filed June5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z72 ven tors: K. /Y. Gra ves. .7? C. Gra ves.

/'/ Tun ecu/- By W MW flffor-neys.

Patentd Mar. 4, 1930 UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE KENNETH A. GRAVES, OFFARGO, ROBERT C. GRAVES, OF DOYON, AND HENRY J UN EAU,

OF GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA AUTOMATIC STOPPING AND STARTING DEVICE FORGASOLINE ENGINES Application filed June 3, 1926. Serial No. 113,519

Our invention relates to automatic stopping-and starting devices forgasoline engines, and more particularly to such devices for use insystems forautomatically refrigcrating transportation vehicles. Whileour system has been shown for illustrative purposes in-connection with arefrigerator or freight car, it isto be understood that it may be usedin connection with other transportation vehicles having a closed storagecompart ment such as closed trucks. An object of the invention is toprovide a combination consisting of an ammonia compressor from whichammonia is circulated through pipes placed in the vehicle, a motorpreferablya gasoline engine for driving the ammonia compressor, andmeans for automatically starting and stopping the motor so as to keepthe temperature in the vehicle between desirable maximum and minimumlimits which limits may be determined by the charactor of the foodproducts or other articles which are being transported in the vehicle.Another object of the invention is to provide a starting and stoppingmechanism of such construction and arrangement that it may be readilyinstalled together with an air' compressor and a motor in a vehicle soas to occupy a minimum amount of space, thus enabling the greaterportion of the vehicle to be utilized for carrying the food'products orother materials.

The full objects and advantages of our invention will appear inconnection with the detailed description thereof, and the novel featuresof our inventive idea will be particularly pointed out in the claims. Inthe accompanying drawings which illustrate one of the forms in which ourinvention may be embodied,-

Fig. 1 is a view of a car in longitudinal vertical section showing ourinvention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in verticalsection on the line 22 of Fig. 1 but on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is afragmentary view in horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a fragmentary view illustrating the arrangement of pipes for coolingthe compressed ammonia. Fig. 5 is 50 a view showing a wiring diagramwith the parts in starting position. Fig. 6 is a view show ng a wiringdiagram with the parts in stopping position.

Referring to the construction shown in the drawlngs, the numeral 10designates in gen- I eral a transportation vehicle which in theembodiment shown may be considered as representing a freight car. In oneend of the car, a bunker or auxiliary compartment 12 is produced by avertical partition 14 of insulating material which extends from one sideto the other of the car and from top to bottom thereof so as tocompletely isolate this compartment from the main compartment of thecar. Within the compartment 12 there IS an ammonia compressor 16 whichis operated by a gasoline engine 18, the starting and stopping of whichis automatically controlled by mechanism which will be described laterand which is so designed that all of it with the exception of athermostat may be placed in the compartment 12. A pipe 20 leads from thecompressor 16 to a cooling device in which this pipe-is carried back andforth in sinuous form, the straight portions of which are placed inconcentrically surrounding pipe members 22, the ends of which areconnected with headers 24 in well known manner. The headers and thepipes 22 outside of the sinuous portion of the pipe 20 are supplied withcooling water from a tank 26 located underneath the floor of the car. Apump 28 driven by the engine 18 takes water from the tank and forces itthrough a pipe 30 into the headers and the cooling pipes 22 from whichit returns to the tank through a pipe 32. The pipe 20 after it leavesthe cooling device continues to a reducing valve 34 from which itcontinues to a place near the roof of the car where it is bent back andforth in sinuous form between the ends of the main compartment of thecar, the members of the .pipe being designated by the numeral 36. Thesepipe members are held in place by transverse strips 38 which are bentinto shape to encircle the pipe members and are secured to the undersideof the room. One of the members 36 preferably at the end of the caropposite the auxiliary compartment 12 is provided with a plug 39 100 bymeans of which ammonia may be introduced into the circulating system.From the return end of the members 36, a pipe 40 leads back to thecompressor 16. A gasoline tank 42 is connected with the engine 18 by apipe 44 for supplying fuel thereto. A thermostat 46 is placed in themain compartment of the car. As will be understood from Figs. 5 and 6,the thermostat embodies a movable contact member 48' adapted to swingbetween the lixcd contacts 50 and 52. Assuming that the compartmentcontaining the thermostat reaches the maximum temperature which Ispermissible, the member 48 swings into ongagcment with the contact 50,thus completing a circuit from a battery 54 through a wire 56, contact50, wire 58 and coil 60 surrounding the upper portion of a solenoid core62. The energizing of the coil 60 pulls up the core 62 and the contactmember 4 carried thereby causing the latter to engage two contacts 66and 68 so that current will flow through a wire 70 to the engineignition 72 and will also flow through a wire 7 4 through the coil of anelectromagnct 7 6 and through a wire 7 8 to one part of a ring which hasantherefrom and connectother part insulated round 84. Conneccd by a wire82 with a tion is made from the rst part of the ring 80 to the secondpart thereof through three arms 86 pivoted to a member 88 rotated by theengine so that these arms which at slow speed are held by springs 90 inengagement with the ring 80 may at greater speed of the engine fly outfrom engagement with the ring. Theenergizing of the 'electromagnct 76'draws up its armature 92 into engage ment with two contacts 94 and 96,so that a circuit is completed from the battery 54 to a singleunit'starter-generator 102 which at this time operates as a startingmotor through a gear 104 on its shaft to start or crank the engine 18previously referred to. When the engine has control of its load and isproperly speeded up, the three arms 86 fly out'undcr operation ofcentrifugal force and break contact with the ring 80 and this actionbreaks the circuit which energizes the coil of the clectromagnet 76,thus allowing the armature 92.to drop from the contacts 94 and 96 andstopping flow of current from the battery to the device 102. This devicethen becomes a generator and causes current to flow through a wire whichis divided adjacent a cut-out device 98 so that the current first flowsthrough a coil around the lower portion of the core of the cut-out toaground which causes the armature 106 to be drawn down and complete acircuit through a coil around the upper portion of the core and througha contact device 108 to the battery 54. When the temperature in thecompartment falls to the permissible minimum, the operation indicated inFig. 6 occurs. The movable member 48 of the thermostat swings tactmember 64 out of engagement with the 70 contacts 66 and 68 which up tothis time have acted as spring holders for the member 64. This operationrestores the parts to their former position, thereby shutting oiltheengine ignition and stopping the engine and cooling system.

The 0 )eration and advantages of our invention have to a large extentalready been set forth. As will be understood from Fig. 1, the greaterportion of the apparatus is placed in compact arrangement within aspecial auxiliary compartment which may be readily fircprool'cd so as toreduce fire risk to a minimum. Considerable space is saved by placingthe gasoline and water tanks underncath the floor of this compartment ina position where they may be readily refilled. Substantially all of thespace in the main compartment is available for storing the material tobe transported since this com artment contains none of the apparatus 0the system except a small thermostat and the refrigerating pipes. Byplacing these pipes underneath the root, they are up out of the way andthey may be secured in such manner 95 as to prevent to the greatestextent, liability of being damaged or strained in such mannor as to openup leaks through which the ms might escape. Furthermore the coolingeffect of the pipes is utilized to great advan- X tage b thispositioning since the air which is chil ed by coming into contact withthe pipes tends to settle and at the same time the formation of a warmair pocket at the top is prevented because the pipes will uiekly coolany warm air whcih tends to col ect at the top. The thermostat 46 may belocated at any suitable place in the main compartment and as shown ispositioned on the artition wall 14. It ma be located at a height 110which will give the est result and it mav be suitably protected so thatits operation will not be interfered with. The thermostat cooperateswith the other elements of the starting and stopping mechanism in suchmanner that when the temperature rises to a predetermined maximum'point,the gasoline engine and the ammonia compressor are started and when thetemperature falls to a predetermined maximum point, the engine andcompressor are stopped. This system may be employed to great advantagein refrigerator cars which are coupled together to form trains sinceeach car contains a refrigerating plant which is independent from thatof all of the other cars, and, therefore, one or more cars may be takenout or sidetracked and the refrigerating action will still be continuedas long as desired or until the cars are unloaded. Access to the auxliliary. and main compartments may be had through suitably placed doorsof any desired construction constituting no feature of this invention,and, hence, not shown. We claim: a

f 1. ,In an automatic stopping and starting device for gasoline engines,the combination of a thermostat located in a chamber whose temperatureis to be controlled, said thermostat having a movable member and fixedmaximum and minimum contact points, a battery connected to said movablemember, a starter generator driven by the engine, a twopartelectromagnetic device one side of wh ch is connected to said maximumcontact point to cause current to flow from said battery to the engineignition and to said starter generator for startin the-engine when thetemperature in'said c amber uses to a prezo determined point, athrow-out device operated by the engine which cuts off the supply ofcurrent from said battery to sa1d starter generator when the engine isfully started, and a connection between the second s1de of said two-partelectromagnetlc device and said minimum contact point whereby current tothe engine ignition is cut oil when the temperature in said chamberfalls to a predetermined point.

2. In an automatic stopplng and start ng device for gasolineengines, thecombination of a thermostatlocated in a chamber whose temperature is tobe controlled, said thermostathaving a movable member and fixed maximumand minimum contact points, a battery connected to said movable member,a starter generator driven by the engine, a two-part electromagneticdevice one side of which is connected to said maximum contact point toclose said device, a wire connecting said device with the engineignition, a second electroma etic device, a throw-out devlce operated ythe engine and moved thereby into open position when the engine is fullystarted, a wire connecting said first w1re with said throw-out devicethrough said second electromagnetic device, a connection between thesecond side of said two-part electromagnetic device and said minimumcontact point to open said'two-part electromagnetic device, a connectionbetween said battery and said starter generator, said connectionincluding the movable member of said second electromagnetic device, acut-out device, a connection from one side of said outout device to saidstarter generator, and a connection from the other side of said cut-outdevice to the battery line.

3. In an, automatic stopping and starting device for gasoline engines,the combination of a thermostat located in a chamber whose temperatureis to be controlled, said thermostat having a movable member and fixedmaximum and minimum contact points, a' battery connected to said movablemember, a solesaid contact fingers with the engine ignition, 7

an electromagnetic device having a coil one end of which is connected tosaid mm, a

grounded centrifugal throw-out device to the ungrounded side of whichthe other end of said last mentioned coil is connected, said de vicebeing driven by the engine, a starter generator driven by the engine,two contact members spaced from each other and bridged by the armatureof said electromagnetic device when the latter is energized, one of saidcontact members being connected to said starter generator and the otherof said contact members being connected to the battery line, a cut-outdevice, a connection from one side of said cut-out device to saidstarter generator, and a connection from the other side of said cut-outdevice to the battery line.

4. In an automatic stopping and starting device for gasoline engines,the combination of a thermostat located in a chamber whose temperatureis to be controlled, said thermostat having a movable member and fixedmaximum and minimum contact points, a battery connected to said movablemember, a solenoid core, a contact member carried thereby, a coilsurrounding one end portion of said core and connected to said maximumcontact point, a second coil surrounding the other end portion of saidcore and connected to said minimum contact point, two contact fingersspaced from each other and adapted to be bridged by said contact memberwhen the first of said coils is energized, one of said contact fingersbeing connected to the battery line, a wire connecting the other of saidcontact fingers with the engine ignition, an electromagnet having a coilone end of which is connected tosaid wire, a two-part ring having itsparts insulated from each other, one of said parts being connected tothe other end of said last mentioned coil and the other of said partsbeing grounded, a rotatable member driven by the engine, arms pivoted tosaid rotatable member, springs normally holding said arms in engagementwith said ring and permitting them to be thrown out from engagementtherewith by centrifugal force, a starter generator driven by theengine, two contact members spaced from each other and bridged by thearmature of said electromagnet when the latter is energized, one of saidcontact members being connected to said starter generator and the otherof said contact members being connected to the battery line, a cut-outdevice, a connection from one side of said cut-out device to saidstarter generator, and a connection from the other side of said cut-outdevice to the batter line.

In testimony whereof we hereunto :1 romsignatures.

KENNETH A. GRAVES. ROBERT C. GRAVES. HENRY J UNEAU.

